PBA 025c
So, there you are. 11:24:15 PM Nation: All alone. 11:25:14 PM Valerian: Valerian stops smiling, runs his hands through his hair and checks the closet for his sacrificial garments. 11:25:34 PM Nation: The wardrobe is full of clothes for men and women, of all sizes. 11:26:55 PM | Edited 11:27:26 PM Valerian: Valerian puts on something black, resolving to look good when he dies. 11:27:20 PM Nation: Okay, you can find some black. 11:27:34 PM Valerian: Valerian then paces while he waits for someone to come and get him. 11:28:02 PM Nation: Pieran reappears. 11:28:08 PM Nation: Pieran: What's your game? 11:28:31 PM Valerian: ... honestly? Saving the others. 11:28:53 PM Valerian: You know, this *is* how prophecies work, though. It's never the one you expect. It's always some schmuck farmer's kid or something. 11:29:08 PM Valerian: It could really be me. I'll try not to let you down. 11:29:39 PM Nation: Pieran shrugs. "If it's you, great, if not, well, you can't be any worse than the last Ghost King." 11:30:16 PM Valerian: Right, exactly. Now tell me about these Ghost Kings. 11:31:16 PM Nation: Pieran: They're those that tried to take the Throne and didn't have what it needs. It slays them outright, but they touch just barely enough power to warp them into wraiths that hate the living. 11:31:32 PM Valerian: What exactly *does* it need? 11:31:41 PM Valerian: Please, please say it needs a vocalist, because then we're golden. 11:31:55 PM Nation: Pieran: There hasn't been a King for 90 years. I don't know. 11:32:11 PM Valerian: Does anybody know? 11:32:31 PM Nation: Pieran: No. 11:32:54 PM Valerian: Great. Great. 11:33:15 PM Valerian: Okay, well. 11:33:46 PM Valerian: Can I just... go and do it now? Whatever it is? No ceremony, feast or... I don't want to let myself chicken out. 11:34:55 PM Nation: Pieran: Frances has a whole feast planned, followed by a night of debauchery, most likely, before a very stately procession up the mountain to meet the Ghost King and his army. 11:35:07 PM Nation: Pieran: ...or I can just take you there now. 11:35:13 PM Valerian: I don't want any of that stuff. Just take me there now, okay? 11:35:48 PM Valerian: ... I wouldn't even be here if I liked any of that stuff. 11:36:01 PM Nation: Pieran: All right. Grab hold of my staff. 11:36:07 PM Valerian: Valerian nods and does it. 11:36:21 PM Valerian: ((THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. Sorry, I couldn't resist.)) 11:36:46 PM Nation: He taps it on the floor, there's butterfiles! And you're on a freezing mountaintop, standing on steps carved from the stone of the mountain. 11:36:58 PM Valerian: Valerian shivers. 11:37:02 PM Valerian: All right. What do I do? 11:38:32 PM Nation: He leads you up a bunch of stairs to a a small plateau. He points to another set of stairs at the other end of the plateau. "Those stairs lead to the Throne." 11:38:49 PM Valerian: ... and I just sit on it, and then whatever happens, happens, right? 11:38:51 PM | Edited 11:39:04 PM Nation: Pieran: Before you get there, the Ghost King will confront you. 11:39:08 PM Valerian: Oh. 11:39:45 PM Valerian: That's a lot of steps. Okay. ... don't tell them I lied to them, okay? It would only make them feel bad. 11:40:25 PM Nation: Pieran: Lied to your friends? 11:41:18 PM Valerian: Yeah. About thinking this was going to be awesome. I didn't like the responsibilities I had at home, much less.... well. Even if this works it's going to be horrible. But it'll help all those people, so. 11:41:24 PM Valerian: Valerian starts up the steps. 11:42:09 PM Valerian: ((Also, I'm already feeling better! Woot!)) 11:42:27 PM Nation: You cross the plateau, and start up the steps. Pieran just watches from where he teleports in. 11:42:46 PM Nation: The steps get very foggy, and suddenly there's a tall, ghostly figure standing before you. 11:43:08 PM Valerian: You're the Ghost-King, I assume. 11:43:20 PM Nation: Ghost King: Yesss. 11:43:36 PM Valerian: What do you want? 11:43:54 PM Valerian: ... sorry, that sounded more hostile than I meant it. I apologize. 11:44:02 PM Valerian: I'm Valerian. It's nice to meet you. 11:44:08 PM Valerian: Valerian bows, quite low. 11:44:37 PM Nation: Ghost King: There must never be another to take the Throne. 11:44:50 PM Valerian: Why? What would happen? 11:45:50 PM Nation: Ghost King: ...what? 11:46:12 PM Valerian: Well, if someone else took the throne, what would happen? 11:46:34 PM Valerian: ((30 DIPLOMACY.)) 11:47:35 PM Valerian: ((It may not work on him, of course, but if it doesn't I definitely want to use that 19+modifier on something else!)) 11:47:37 PM Nation: Ghost King: ... the cycle would continue. 11:48:00 PM Valerian: Oh, I see. What would break the cycle? Maybe I can help free you. 11:48:47 PM Nation: Ghost King: The Throne must remain vacant. You cannot take it. 11:50:03 PM Valerian: That didn't really answer my question. How do I break the cycle? 11:50:39 PM Nation: Ghost King: The Throne must remain vacant. 11:51:18 PM Nation: Ghost King: You cannot take it. 11:51:27 PM Nation: Ghost king: ...*You* cannot take it. 11:51:36 PM Valerian: Who can? 11:51:42 PM Nation: Ghost King: No one. 11:51:54 PM Valerian: ... what about two people? 11:52:10 PM Valerian: Then it's no *one*, right? 11:53:01 PM Nation: Ghost King: Who else could take the Throne? 11:53:48 PM Valerian: Well. How about you? 11:54:10 PM Nation: Ghost King: The dead cannot take the Throne. No one can take the Throne but you, and you must not. 11:54:19 PM Valerian: Well, but see, that's the thing. 11:54:36 PM Valerian: How are you at possession? That would work, right? 11:54:52 PM Valerian: Then the dead wouldn't be on the throne. And no one would be on the throne but me, and I *wouldn't* be. 11:55:02 PM Valerian: Fits all your criteria, right? 11:55:15 PM Valerian: And then you're not stuck haunting this crappy stairwell anymore, too. 11:55:54 PM Valerian: Everybody gets what they want. 11:56:11 PM Valerian: ... except me, really, but I *do* want to help them, so... some of what they want... 11:56:31 PM Nation: Sense motive. 11:56:51 PM Valerian: ((21.)) 11:57:15 PM Nation: He is trying to say something, but he's a ghost. He's not terribly articulate with the living. 11:58:16 PM Valerian: ... I'm not understanding, am I. It's okay, keep trying. I'm listening. 11:58:38 PM Nation: Ghost King: ... you came from beyond here. 11:58:53 PM Nation: Ghost King: Not this world. 11:59:13 PM Valerian: Right. 11:59:29 PM Nation: Ghost King: You came through the monolith. The Last God put that there. 11:59:38 PM Nation: Ghost King: His doorway back. 11:59:48 PM Valerian: Right. AM Nation: Ghost King: Gods would rule Man again. One god. Last God. AM Nation: Ghost King: Not you. Last God. AM Nation: Ghost King: In you. AM Valerian: So I'd be used like a sockpuppet? AM Nation: The Ghost King nods. AM Valerian: ... I don't really care what happens to me. AM Valerian: But what about the people here? Would it be bad if the god came back? AM Nation: Ghost King: The Last God would rule. Forever. AM Valerian: Sure, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it? If it's a benevolent deity. AM Nation: Ghost King: The gods here were cruel. Unkind. Men were pawns. The cycle would start again. AM Valerian: Oh. AM Valerian: Even the Last God? AM Nation: Ghost King: The Last God was the least, but the worst. AM Valerian: Oh. Wow. AM Valerian: That's awful. AM Valerian: You know what we should do? AM Nation: Ghost King: ... they only ever fight me. Steel, or spell, or word. No one chooses word. AM Valerian: I'm not all that great with steel and I barely have any spells. AM Valerian: Do you have any extra powerful ghostly strength? Because I have an idea that might solve this whole thing. AM Nation: Ghost King: I am strong. AM Valerian: Good. Let's go up there and tip the throne over. AM Valerian: It's crystal right? Should make a pretty noise when it goes crunch on the steps. AM Valerian: Valerian starts walking up the steps. AM Nation: Your ghost buddy follows. AM Valerian: I'm not that strong or I'd do it myself. ... you do have to actually sit on it, though, right? I mean, I won't get the juju put on me if I just touch it, right? AM Valerian: If you'd been able to do this yourself I'm pretty sure you'd've done it a long time ago, so I figure you need me for something. AM Valerian: ... which, hey. Means I *am* the chosen one. AM Valerian: Prophecies are so messed-up. AM Nation: Ghost King: Sit, yes. AM Valerian: My butt is not coming anywhere near that thing, then. AM Nation: You climb the stairs. YOu figure you're at the very top of the mountain! You see the crystal throne. WHich isn't terribly impressive. It's more of a Crystal Chair. AM Valerian: All right. I might not be able to lift this up myself, so you're going to have to help me. What's your name, again? AM Nation: Oh, and its surrounded by skeletons. AM Nation: Like, dead ones. Not undead ones. AM Nation: Ghost King: Sirin. AM Nation: He points at one of the skeletons. AM Valerian: Right. I'm guessing that when that thing hits the bottom, there's gonna be an angry mob coming up to kill me, and on the off-chance it works, it's been a pleasure working with you. AM Valerian: You know, "chosen one" never ever does mean what people think it will. AM Nation: Ghost King: I can give you my power. AM Valerian: At least a little muscle would be helpful. ... maybe I need to start working out. AM Nation: Ghost King: ... there are already many people inside you. What's one more? AM Nation: You think he's making a joke. AM Valerian: Valerian smiles. AM Valerian: Good point. All right, give it a try. AM Valerian: Valerian opens his mind up nice and wide for the hopefully good ghost. AM Nation: He turns into whispy ghost stuff and flies into you! You're still in control, though, and you feel power coursing through you. AM Valerian: ... woah, that's... AM Valerian: ...right, job first, delusions of grandeur later. Thanks, Sirin. AM Valerian: Valerian picks up the crystal throne and smashes it onto the steps with all the force he can muster. AM Nation: You shatter it! With a mighty smash. AM Nation: It smashes good. AM Nation: But... not much happens otherwise. You feel Sirin's presence leave you. AM Nation: He reforms, but he's wispier now. And getting fainter. "Ahhh. Free." AM Valerian: Thanks, Sirin. Enjoy the afterlife. AM Valerian: Valerian peers at the bones, and picks up a handful of dirt, sprinkling it over the bones and saying a cautious prayer to any good gods out there. Then he dusts off his hands and starts back down the steps. AM Nation: Pieran is still waiting there. ".... I heard a crashing noise. I hope that was what I thought it was." AM Valerian: Could be. I smashed the throne, so. No more gods. AM Nation: Pieran: And the world is still spinning. AM Valerian: I'm assuming I'm not going to survive the angry mob, so could you at some point send somebody up there to bury all the dead guys properly? AM Valerian: One of them helped me out, so I owe them. AM | Edited 12:26:56 AM Nation: Pieran: I'll see that it's done. We'll probably have to tell people that you've taken you place on the Throne at first. I'll cast a spell on you to disguise you so that you can leave without a fuss. AM Valerian: ... they should know. AM Valerian: Don't you think they should know? AM Nation: Pieran: They will. But not right away. AM Nation: Pieran: ... you won't have to deal with the riots. AM Nation: Pieran: We will. AM Valerian: ... let me talk to them, then. Maybe I can make it not as bad. AM Valerian: I'm good with people. AM Nation: Pieran: No. They'll think you're here. AM Valerian: There's got to be some way to prevent bloodshed here. AM Nation: Pieran: Time and patience. We have to ween them off the idea that Throne is necessary to our survival. AM Valerian: ... I don't want anybody to get hurt. Are you sure I can't just... talk to them? AM Nation: Pieran: 10 million people. You're clearly good with words, but with that many, there will be those that won't listen to you. AM Valerian: Will they listen to you? AM Nation: Pieran: Frances will. And the people will listen to him. ((He's Brian Blessed!)) AM Valerian: ((He's too loud to ignore. :) )) AM Valerian: ... all right. Are you sure it's better this way? AM Nation: Pieran: You've done a lot for us. More than I know, I expect. But trust us, please. AM Valerian: ... and I get to go back to the ship? AM Nation: Pieran nods. "I'll bring you back." AM Nation: He casts a disguise spell on you so you don't look like you! AM Valerian: ... I really didn't expect to survive this. But I'm glad I could help. AM Valerian: And I was right. I *was* the chosen one after all. Must put that on my resume. AM Nation: Pieran smiles a little. "ready?" AM Valerian: Ready. AM Nation: You butterfly away back to the portal in the town square. No one seems to notice you there, though. "The illusion won't hold long. Go." AM Valerian: Valerian hurries through the portal!